Spatial and seasonal variation of polychlorinated biphenyls in Songhua River, China

The spatial and seasonal variation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were investigated in water and sediment samples collected from Songhua River, China, from 2007 to 2008. The total concentration of PCB congeners ranged from 1.1 to 14 ng/l in water and 0.26–9.7 ng/g dry weight (dw) in sediment. The results of seasonal variation may suggest an impact to PCB concentration in water from its atmospheric input, the dilution to PCBs concentrations of high stream in summer, and a general trend towards increased volatilization in warmer conditions. From PCBs concentrations comparison between upstream and downstream of industrial urban cities, it was obvious that industrial urban cities reflect an important pollutant source for PCBs in our study, also with the evidences of high concentrations of PCBs occurring in high development industry and residential areas. Meanwhile, the homologue profile of PCBs in Songhua was analyzed, whose comparison with published data indicates that the sources of PCBs accumulated in the sediment may also came from the residue of PCBs production in China. Total five dioxin-like PCBs (CB-77, 81, 105, 114, and 126) and nine (CB-77, 81, 105, 114, 118, 123, 126, 156, and 167) were found in Songhua water and sediment.     

Levels and chemical composition of PM in a city near a large Cu-smelter in Spain

A long-term series (2001-2008) of chemical analysis of atmospheric particulate matter (PM(10) and PM(2.5)) collected in the city of Huelva (SW Spain) is considered in this study. The impact of emission plumes from one of the largest Cu-smelters in the world on air quality in the city of Huelva is evidenced by the high daily and hourly levels of As, other potentially toxic elements (e.g. Cu, Zn, Cd, Se, Bi, and Pb) in particulate matter, as well as the high levels of some gaseous pollutants (NO(2) and SO(2)). Mean arsenic levels in the PM10 fraction were higher than the target value set by European Directive 2004/107/EC (6 ngAs m(-3)) for 1(st) January 2013. Hourly peak concentrations of As and other metals and elements (Zn, Cu, P and Se) analyzed by PIXE can reach maximum hourly levels as high as 326 ngAs m(-3), 506 ngZn m(-3), 345 ngCu m(-3), 778 ngP m(-3) and 12 ngSe m(-3). The contribution of Cu-smelter emissions to ambient PM is quantified on an annual basis in 2.0-6.7 μg m(-3) and 1.8-4.2 μg m(-3) for PM(10) and PM(2.5), respectively. High resolution outputs of the HYSPLIT dispersion model show the geographical distribution of the As ambient levels into the emission plume, suggesting that the working regime of the Cu-smelter factory and the sea breeze circulation are the main factors controlling the impact of the Cu-smelter on the air quality of the city. The results of this work improve our understanding of the behaviour of industrial emission plumes and their impact on air quality of a city, where the population might be exposed to very high ambient concentrations of toxic metals during a few hours.     

Cost-efficiency of rainwater harvesting strategies in dense Mediterranean neighbourhoods

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) presents many benefits for urban sustainability and it is emerging as a key strategy in order to cope with water scarcity in cities. However, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding the most adequate scale in financial terms for RWH infrastructures particularly in dense areas. The aim of this research is to answer this question by analysing the cost-efficiency of several RWH strategies in urban environments. The research is based on a case study consisting of a neighbourhood of dense social housing (600 inhabitants/ha) with multi-storey buildings. The neighbourhood is located in the city of Granollers (Spain), which has a Mediterranean climate (average rainfall 650 mm/year). Four strategies are defined according to the spatial scale of implementation and the moment of RWH infrastructure construction (building/neighbourhood scale and retrofit action vs. new construction). Two scenarios of water prices have been considered (current water prices and future increased water prices under the EU Water Framework Directive). In order to evaluate the cost-efficiency of these strategies, the necessary rainwater conveyance, storage and distribution systems have been designed and assessed in economic terms through the Net Present Value within a Life Cycle Costing approach. The pipe water price that makes RWH cost-efficient for each strategy has been obtained, ranging from 1.86 to 6.42€/m³. The results indicate that RWH strategies in dense urban areas under Mediterranean conditions appear to be economically advantageous only if carried out at the appropriate scale in order to enable economies of scale, and considering the expected evolution of water prices. However, not all strategies are considered cost-efficient. Thus, it is necessary to choose the appropriate scale for rainwater infrastructures in order to make them economically feasible.     

Editorial: Effect of root anatomy and apoplastic barrier development on cadmium uptake in rice

<正>Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal with high mobility from soil and known translocation into plants (Song et al., 2015).Because the main source of human exposure to Cd is from food consumption, there has been increased research examining Cd uptake in agricultural plants (Li et al., 2014; Rizwan et al., 2016; Song et al., 2015). Rice (Oryza sativa L.) has been identified as a major crop that contains relatively high     

Hybrid microbial electrolytic/UV system for highly efficient organic pollutants removal

This study for the first time proposed an efficient microbial electrolyte/UV system for Methyl Orange decomposition. With an external applied voltage of 0.2 V and cathode aeration of20 mL/min, H_2O_2 could be in-situ generated from two-electron reduction of oxygen in cathode, reaching to 8.1 mg/L in 2 hr and continued to increase. The pollutant removal efficiency of approximate 94.7% was achieved at initial neutral pH, with the activation of ·OH in the presence of UV illumination. Although the nature of its guiding principles remain on the vista of practical exploration, this proof-of-concept study provides an alternative operation pattern of solar–microbial hybrid technology for future wastewater treatment from a basic but multidisciplinary view.     

Stoichiometric characteristics of nitrogen and phosphorus in Chimonobambusa utilis leaves at different elevations北大核心CSCD

海拔对植物养分元素的分配和生存策略的权衡具有重要影响.为了解金佛山方竹(Chimonobambusa utilis)叶片氮、磷养分对海拔梯度的响应,以四川盆地南缘3个海拔(1 400 m、1 600 m和1 800 m)金佛山方竹纯林为研究对象,建立12个典型样地,对生长季节叶片氮、磷含量和土壤养分含量、温度、含水量等进行定量研究和相关性分析.结果表明:(1)随海拔的升高,叶片氮含量呈上升趋势,叶片磷含量呈下降趋势,叶片氮磷比呈上升趋势;各海拔叶片氮磷比均大于16,表明金佛山方竹生长可能受到磷限制.(2)冗余分析表明,叶片氮含量和氮磷比与土壤温度、含水量和速效磷含量呈负相关,与土壤速效氮含量呈正相关;叶片磷含量与土壤全氮和速效氮含量呈负相关,与其余环境因子呈正相关;土壤温度、速效氮、全氮、含水量和速效磷含量对叶片氮、磷化学计量特征整体影响显著,变量解释度分别为72.10%、7.90%、8.80%、2.50%和1.20%.(3)相对重要性分析表明,土壤温度和速效氮含量是叶片氮含量变异的主导因子,土壤温度、速效磷和全氮含量是叶片磷含量变异的主导因子,土壤温度、速效磷含量和速效氮含量是叶片氮磷比变异的主导因子.上述研究结果说明,海拔引起的土壤温度和养分供应的差异调节着金佛山方竹叶片的氮、磷化学计量特征.(图4表3参49)     

Migration behavior and in-situ bioremediation of chlorinated hydrocarbon solvent in vadose zone: a review北大核心CSCD

It is of great significance for in-situ bioremediation to clarify the migration behavior and biodegradation laws of chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents (CHS) in the vadose zone. We systematically summarized the phase distribution of CHS, the interaction between different phases, and the migration characteristics and clarified the evolution rules of CHS under different phases in the polluted vadose zone. CHS exists in the vadose zone as the NAPL, dissolved phase, adsorbed phase, gas phase, and other phases, where there are three decay evolution stages: early, middle, and late stages. Phase change and diffusion matrix size are important indicators at different stages; at the same time, gas, solid, liquid and NAPL phase CHS have a variety of interactive relationships in the vadose zone. Subsequently, the characteristics of the three main biological metabolic pathways of CHS in the vadose zone–aerobic co-metabolism, direct oxidation and anaerobic reduction, and dechlorination–and their influencing factors were summarized. Generally speaking, the anaerobic dechlorination capacity decreases with a decrease in the number of chlorine atoms, whereas the aerobic degradation capacity increases with a decrease in the number of chlorine atoms. The current status of in-situ remediation of CHS in the vadose zone was summarized using biostimulation and bioaugmentation methods, indicating that adding nutrient substances and injecting anaerobic dechlorination strains of Dehalococcoides are effective means of remediation. Simultaneously, the factors influencing the biodegradation of CHS in the vadose zone were elaborated to acquire a systematic insight into the significance of redox characteristics (oxygen) on the degradation of CHS. Finally, research on the biodegradation of CHS in the vadose zone is prospected, and it is necessary to carry out research on the interactive relationship between different phases of CHS, the data monitoring of CHS, the structure of the functional bacterial community, and research and development of active strains to provide theoretical guidance for the in-situ remediation of CHS in the vadose zone. © 2022 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Characteristics of bacterial community in Poyang Lake sandy land under different vegetation restoration conditions北大核心CSCD

为掌握不同植被恢复措施下鄱阳湖沙地土壤细菌群落变化特征,以湿地松、香根草、单叶蔓荆、狗牙根等植物恢复措施的沙地土壤为研究对象,采用高通量测序技术,分析植物恢复前后细菌群落变化.结果显示,相较对照组,土壤细菌多样性均有提升,在门水平上,绿弯菌门丰度大幅降低,而变形菌门、放线菌门和厚壁菌门丰度增加.在属水平上,副伯克霍尔德氏菌属、慢生根瘤菌属、芽孢杆菌属、分枝杆菌属等丰度提升,而假单胞菌属丰度大幅下降.植被恢复后,不同植被固氮功能细菌丰度提升,而香根草、狗牙根土壤磷细菌丰度下降,湿地松土壤固氮、解磷功能优势细菌提升幅度为76.11%、51.12%,单叶蔓荆为65.04%、23.17%.土壤容重、有机质、全磷、有效氮是影响功能细菌变化的重要因素,其中有效氮与芽孢杆菌属、分枝杆菌属呈显著水平以上相关性.本研究表明鄱阳湖沙地植被恢复措施提升了固氮细菌的丰富度,但不同植被土壤解磷细菌群落变化差异大;研究结果可为沙地治理提供科学依据.(图6表3参34)     

Variation characteristics of thermal resources in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in recent 50 years北大核心CSCD

To provide scientific support for the rational development and utilization of thermal resources and avoid climate risks, the distribution of thermal resources in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the context of climate change was analyzed in this study. Based on meteorological data from 1961 to 2020 at 149 stations in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the changes in thermal resources over the past 50 years were analyzed using inclination rate analysis and Mann-Kendall inspection, combined with JAVA and Python programming. The results showed that: (1) the annual average temperature in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau shows an obvious warming trend, and the temperature increases greatly after the 1990s, with the climate tendency rate from 1961 to 2020 reaching 0.298 ℃/10 a. (2) The accumulated temperature and lasting days steadily above 0 ℃, 5 ℃ and 10 ℃ increased significantly, and the accumulated temperature increases were not entirely determined by the duration of the lasting days. (3) The beginning dates of accumulated temperature steadily above 0 ℃, 5 ℃, and 10 ℃ were generally advanced, while the deadlines were delayed, and the trend of early start dates was stronger than that of deadlines. In conclusion, this study shows that, in the context of global warming, thermal resources in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have undergone substantial changes, which will play an important role in the introduction and extension of crops. © 2022 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Photosynthetic characteristics and reproductive strategies of Polygonum viviparum at different altitudes in the Qilian Mountains北大核心CSCD

Polygonum viviparum, which reproduces sexually and asexually, is widely distributed in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and its reproduction strategies are very sensitive to changes in the environment. This study aimed to elucidate the effect of altitude on the photosynthetic characteristics and reproductive strategies of P. viviparum. This study was conducted to investigate the responses of photosynthetic, vegetative, and reproductive traits of P. viviparum populations along six altitudinal gradients in the eastern part of the Qilian Mountains in China. Our results indicated that, with increasing altitude, the net photosynthetic rate of P. viviparum showed an increasing trend, reaching its maximum value (14.39 μmol m–2 s–1) at 3 700 m above sea level. The transpiration rate showed an increasing trend, followed by a decreasing trend, and the intercellular CO2 concentration did not differ significantly between altitudes. With increasing altitude, the plant height and leaf area of P. viviparum showed a downward trend, the aboveground and underground biomass decreased, and the specific leaf area initially decreased and then increased. However, the leaf greenness index showed an upward trend, and the number of stomata in the upper and lower epidermis of leaves initially increased and then decreased. With increasing altitude, the proportion of inflorescence length per plant (the ratio of inflorescence length to plant height), the proportion of bulbil length per inflorescence (the ratio of bulbil length to inflorescence height), and the proportion of the number of bulbils per inflorescence (the ratio of the number of bulbils to the total number of flowers and bulbils) showed an increasing trend. Air temperature and light intensity are the major environmental factors affecting the photosynthetic characteristics and functional traits of P. viviparum. Thus, P. viviparum is exposed to more environmental stresses and obtains less energy when altitude increases, but it adapts to the harsh alpine environment by increasing the photosynthetic capability per unit area. With increasing altitude, P. viviparum populations may be sustained by investing less energy in vegetation and more in reproduction, especially asexual reproduction. © 2022 Science Press. All rights reserved.